Dubai Airports has announced that the operation of the Smart Corridor at Dubai International Airport (DXB) will be completed during the second or third quarter of this year.
Once operational this ‘Tunnel” condenses three procedures into one – travelers will be able to complete the ‘check-in’ process by finishing passport procedures, obtaining the boarding pass, and then heading directly to the aircraft without stopping anywhere except at security inspection points, said Majed Al Joker, Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Airports while speaking to Wam.
Al Joker pointed out that development works were on at Dubai Airport and investments to the tune of nearly AED10 billion will be directed towards improving facilities, developing transit areas to enhance service efficiency, and investing in technology.
He spoke about the passenger flow prediction system, which forecasts the arrival of a certain number of passengers per hour and suggests the necessary human resources and counters to handle the expected number.
He also mentioned that Dubai Airport can accommodate 118 to 120 million passengers.
On its 2023 performance, Al Joker said: “We reached 87 million passengers in 2023, up 31 percent compared to the previous year, surpassing the levels of 2019. We received 22.4 million passengers during the last quarter of last year, an increase of 13.8 percent compared to the same period last year, and August was the busiest month of the year with 7.9 million passengers.”
The performance, he stated, was strong throughout the year, especially during the second half, which witnessed the handling of more than 45 million passengers, noting that the third quarter was the busiest since 2019, with the handling of 23 million passengers.
The Dubai Airports COO confirmed the operational efficiency of the airport, which processed 77 million bags, an increase of 24 percent, the highest number of bags handled in a historical year, with a success rate reaching 99.8 percent in handling operations.
He also mentioned the waiting times at the security inspection gates, which do not exceed four minutes for about 97 percent of travelers, and passport control takes 7 minutes for more than 95 percent of passengers.